Apply the regulatory framework that distinguishes permanent abandonment from temporary suspension.
Oil, Gas & Energy
Plug and Abandonment Engineering for End-of-Life Wells
Covers regulatory requirements, barrier design and rigless techniques for plug and abandonment engineers planning safe, compliant and cost-effective end-of-life well campaigns.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Plugging and abandoning a well correctly the first time is far cheaper than returning to a well that was declared permanently abandoned but later found to be leaking. This course takes plug and abandonment engineers through end-of-life well planning from end to end, beginning with the regulatory framework, since barrier requirements and verification standards differ between environmental permanent abandonment and temporary suspension. Participants design permanent barriers using cement and mechanical plugs, applying the placement and length rules that make a barrier defensible, and learn to verify each plug by tagging, pressure testing and cement bond or ultrasonic logging rather than by assumption. Sessions on rigless and light well intervention techniques cover the equipment and sequencing that let many wells be abandoned without a full drilling rig, including source removal and casing recovery methods. The course closes on wellhead and conductor removal, site restoration obligations, and the cost estimation and campaign sequencing decisions that determine whether a multi-well abandonment programme stays within its budget and its regulatory timeline.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Plan a well abandonment campaign and prioritise wells using risk and cost criteria.
Design permanent barrier placement and length using accepted cement and mechanical plug rules.
Verify a barrier by tagging, pressure testing and cement bond or ultrasonic logging.
Select rigless or light well intervention methods appropriate to a given well's condition.
Coordinate wellhead and conductor removal alongside site restoration requirements.
Estimate abandonment campaign cost and sequence wells to optimise the overall programme.
Who Should Attend
Plug and abandonment engineers planning end-of-life well campaigns.
Well engineers and drilling superintendents responsible for abandonment execution.
Asset decommissioning managers coordinating multi-well abandonment programmes.
Regulatory and environmental affairs staff who review abandonment applications.
Well intervention contractors delivering rigless or light well intervention services.
Cost engineers and planners building abandonment budgets and schedules.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Plug and Abandonment Regulatory Framework and Planning
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Regulatory Requirements and Standards
- Distinguish permanent abandonment barrier requirements from temporary well suspension requirements.
- Apply the barrier placement principles a national regulator expects to see documented.
- Identify environmental permit and reporting obligations that apply to an abandonment campaign.
- Relate abandonment timeline obligations to licence expiry and facility decommissioning dates.
Session 2Abandonment Planning and Candidate Prioritisation
- Prioritise wells for abandonment using integrity risk, cost and rig or vessel availability.
- Assemble the well data, including barrier history, needed before an abandonment design starts.
- Choose between a rig-based and rigless abandonment approach for a given well.
- Sequence a multi-well campaign to minimise mobilisation and demobilisation cost.
02Barrier Design and Verification
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Permanent Barrier Placement and Materials
- Select cement, mechanical plugs or a combination as the permanent barrier material.
- Apply barrier length and placement rules across each open hole and cased hole section.
- Design a barrier across a perforated interval to isolate a hydrocarbon-bearing zone.
- Plan barrier placement at the surface, intermediate and reservoir sections of a well.
Session 2Plug Verification: Tagging, Pressure and Bond Logging
- Verify plug placement by tagging and confirming plug top depth against the design.
- Pressure test a barrier plug to confirm it holds the design differential pressure.
- Interpret a cement bond or ultrasonic log to confirm zonal isolation behind casing.
- Decide when a failed verification test requires a remedial plug before proceeding.
03Rigless and Light Well Intervention Techniques
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Rigless P&A Methods and Equipment
- Compare rigless, hydraulic workover unit and light well intervention approaches to abandonment.
- Identify the wireline and coiled tubing equipment used to set plugs without a drilling rig.
- Plan well control and pressure containment equipment appropriate to a rigless operation.
- Assess which well conditions make a rigless abandonment approach unsuitable.
Session 2Source Removal and Casing Recovery
- Plan source removal to eliminate the hydrocarbon-bearing zone as a future leak path.
- Select a casing recovery method appropriate to the casing size and cement bond quality.
- Sequence section milling or cutting operations to recover casing efficiently.
- Manage cuttings and recovered casing handling during a rigless abandonment operation.
04Wellhead Removal, Site Restoration and Cost Management
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Conductor and Wellhead Removal
- Plan wellhead removal to the depth required by the applicable site restoration standard.
- Select a conductor removal method suited to water depth and seabed conditions.
- Sequence wellhead and conductor removal to minimise vessel or rig standby time.
- Coordinate site debris clearance and seabed survey following wellhead removal.
Session 2Cost Estimation and Campaign Optimisation
- Build a cost estimate for an abandonment campaign covering rig, services and logistics.
- Identify the cost drivers that most often cause an abandonment campaign to overrun.
- Compare campaign options, such as batch abandonment, to reduce overall cost per well.
- Report abandonment campaign progress and cost against budget to project stakeholders.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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